The need for low-emissions fuels has created an increased demand for light olefins used in alkylation, oligomerization, MTBE, and ETBE synthesis processes. In addition, a low cost supply of light olefins, particularly propylene, continues to be in demand to serve as feed for polyolefins production, particularly polypropylene production.
Fixed bed processes for light paraffin dehydrogenation have recently attracted renewed interest for increasing olefins production. However, these types of processes typically require relatively large capital investments as well as high operating costs. It is therefore advantageous to increase olefins yield using processes, which require relatively small capital investment. It would be particularly advantageous to increase olefins yield in catalytic cracking processes.
A problem inherent in producing olefins products using FCC units is that the process depends on a specific catalyst balance to maximize production of light olefins while also achieving high conversion of the 650.degree. F.+(.about.340.degree. C.+) feed components. In addition, even if a specific catalyst balance can be maintained to maximize overall olefins production, olefins selectivity is generally low because of undesirable side reactions, such as extensive cracking, isomerization, aromatization and hydrogen transfer reactions. Light saturated gases produced from undesirable side reactions result in increased costs to recover the desirable light olefins. Therefore, it is desirable to maximize olefins production in a process that allows a high degree of control over the selectivity to C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 olefins that are processed and polymerized to form products such as polypropylene and polyethylene.